Thanks for that Bilbo will have a read. Yes, they're thinking it's MS although no formal diagnosis yet. When I first started the PhD I asked if I could possibly do it part-time (I'm a single mum - hubby died when I was taking my finals for my first degree and I haven't worked full-time since) but the funding body states that it's full-time and that's it. The problem is I have to collect data at certain times of the year - and this is very intensive - the last lot were two weeks of 12 hour days, my doc thinks that is what has set me back and made my condition flare up - I was off my feet for two weeks afterwards and only just feeling a bit better although my mental state is all over the place. I know I can't do that type of work again without being very ill again. I'm in tears typing this, but actually feel a bit better telling you lot. I have emailed my supervisor and asked for a meeting and will take it from there. Thank you all again, can't tell you how much you've all helped.

Thanks for that, Caro. Yes, I am probably panicking a bit, although I'm not normally a panicker. It's just one supervisor who has been all gloom and doom telling me it would emergency measures then a month to get it right or out... although other students I've spoken to have said they were late and that the examiners barely glanced at their reports. Apparently, everything has changed this year as they've tightened up on procedures. I'm annoyed as after 3 years of undergraduate study where I took my final exams just after a major bereavement, a masters and 3 years of research assistant work and never had a day off (I'm lucky as I'm rarely ill - usually) I'm dropping behind and I feel as I'm letting myself down and there's no room for error... but of course there is. Thanks again guys - it has helped just to type this out.

Thank you for the reply. Yes, I'm going to speak to my supervisor next week - if I can get hold of him. I think the reason I'm stressed is that I'm panicking over the report which is just making it worse. My other supervisor is not someone I know very well - she told me as it stands the examiners would throw it back and I would be in 'emergency measures'... yet it's Masters standards?! Part of me thinks I don't care and my health is more important, the other half is all pride and I don't like failing... ah well.

I'm just coming to the end of my first year and have to submit a first year report. My supervisor so far has been quite relaxed and told me a month ago there was 'no deadline' (even though I knew it was close), then told me a week ago I should really get it done... The problem is I've had health problems for the past few months with visits to the docs on and off. I've just been told by a specialist that they're 90% sure I have a chronic neurological disorder. It makes me very weak and my mental capacity has been affected. However, I've not told anyone. My supervisor is also a friend (I've worked with him for a few years) and I haven't told him as I feel as if I'm letting him and everyone else down (this is a funded PhD). I've been just trying to hold it together - I'm only on campus a day a week as I live 100 miles away so I work from home. I've made excuses but I'm seriously worried now as I find the condition is really affecting the way I think. I have a ton of data, over 70+ pages written up, but it's all a mess (my supervisors went through it with scores of red pen and it needs a total re-write) but I've found now that it's taking me a day just to do one page... I can't decide if I'm depressed because of the work or because of the fact my mental capacity has declined that much I can barely write a paragraph...
Sorry guys, really needed to let it out and see what others thought.